Improved boat-detaching apparatus



N. PETERS, FHOTUUTKOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D. Cy

WILLIAM A. DEVON, 0F PORT RICHMOND, NEW YORK.

Y Letters .Patent No. 66,006, elated June 25, 1867; antctlatecl June 11, 1867.

IMPROVBD BOAT-DETAGHING APPARATUS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that I, WILLIAM A. DEVON, of Port Richmond, in the county Iof Richmond, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usei'ulimprovemcnt in Apparatus for Detaching Ships Boats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal section of a ships boat with my improvement applied thereto.

Figure 2, a transverse section of' the same, and

Figure 3 a view of the detachable hook in its open condition.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the several gurcs.

My improvement relates to a certain novel construction and operation of detachable hooks for raising and lowering ships boats,in which jointed hooks acted upon by springs in connection with locking slides are used, and whereby', when the boat is in a state of suspension, or suspended and, lashed, weight thrown upon it serves to tighten the lock of the hooks, which, nevertheless, are readily made to detach themselves from the falls of the davit-blocks by simply drawing upon the slides which hold the hooks to their lock; Aand my invention further consists -in a combination, with detachable hooks for said pressure, of water-proof caps or bonnets arranged on the connecting link which attaches them to the falls, and serving to protcct'the hooks from interference with their action by ice or other impediments collecting about them.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents a ships'boat, to the bow and stern of which is secured the shank a of a hook, which has a fixed or stationary character, its one jawl being immovable, while its other jaw cl that opens and closes, and the shank of which is shorter than that of the movable jaw, is crossjointed at c to the4 shank a of the stationary jaw, the two jaws, when the hook is shut, Aforming a closed eye o1' ring. Attached to the shank a of either hook is a spring, c, that, acting upon the shankf of the movable jaw i I), operates to open the latter, a sliding ring, g, serving, when raised,to keep it closed or locked by holding in a shut position the shankf against the stationary shank a. These locking slides or rings g are connected by ropes or chains t with ropes, rods, or chains jj arranged along the bottom of the boat on its inside, and which may be boxed n or covered, the inner ends of such connections jj being extended or attached to vertical chains l, united to a ring or handle, m, above, that may lie in a recess in one of the seats, which recess may-be provided with a lid. Suitable eyes, pulleys, or blocks are arranged within the boat to give a running character to these several connections,and so that on pulling upwards the ring-fm, the slides g will be drawn down and out of lock on the shanksf, when the springs e will throw open the movable jaws cl, by which means the boat is simultaneously and almost instantaneously detached atboth or opposite ends from the falls k to which it is hung, thus avoiding any tendency to tip at either end, and admitting of the boats detachment either before or when reaching the'water. Every facility also is aiorded for reestablishing the connection with the falls by simply closing the hooks when link ed to the falls and drawing up into lock the slides g that by reason of the construction of the hooks bind the tighter or the Shanks of the movable jaws bear the harderY on the sides the greater the weight thrown upon the boa-t or falls to open the hooks by straining u'ponthe movable jaws, whereby said hooks not only form a secure means for raising the boat, but, in case of an emergency anda rush of persons into the boat, prevent an untimely detachment of the latter. The connection of the hooks 4witlrthe falls may be established through pendent intermediate rods 7', onwhich are fitted, loosely, lso as to drop or fall over the hooks, India-rubber or other water-proof caps or bonnets C that serve when theboat is raised to protect the hooks from ice, snow, or other` injurious and interfering obstacles to .their free working, the pendent rods r, to the lower ends of which the hooks hitch, readily admitting of said caps or bonnets falling or being adjusted to cover the hooks, and of being slid or raised to re-establish the connection of the hooks with said rods. A hook or hooks colrstructedl and locked or unlocked by a sliding ring, as described, may alsol be used, instead of the usual lashing for holding the anchor to the cat-head of the ship.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The construction and application of the` jointed hooks attached to the boatV by an extended shank, in combination with the slides g and interposing springs, arranged and operating substantially as specified. l

2. The arrangement at oppositeends of the boat of detachable spring-hooks constructed substantially as described, in combinati'onwth rod, rope, or chain connections within the boat, whereby they may beI operated in unison te unlock the slides that secure the hooks in theirclosed condition, essentially as herein set forth.

WM. A. DEVON.

Witnesses:

A. LE CLEno, G. W. REED. 

